The One Wish Chronicles: The Lord of the Rings
by BloomFanatic95
Summary: After a breakup, Anna wishes to be anywhere but here. What happens when she gets exactly what she wished for?
1. The Dream

Chapter 1

The shrill ring of a telephone cut through the silence of Anna Evans' small Colonial home. It rang again and a dark figure jerked up and fell off the couch with a thump. The shape stumbled up, muttering, and felt around the perimeter of the room for a light switch. There was a slight _click_ and the room was flooded with light. Anna looked bleary-eyed around her living-room and spied the phone buried under the pile of papers she had been in the process of writing for her under-grad course in European History. She dived for the phone just as it finished the sixth ring and answered sleepily.

"Hello?" she mumbled.

"Hey, Anna?"

"Anthony? Why are you calling so late?"

"Um, it's only 8:30."

"Really?" she looked quickly at her watch. "Wow, you're right. Sorry, I fell asleep working on my term paper."

"It's fine. Listen, I need to talk to you. Could you meet me in the park in half an hour? That should give you enough time to wake up." She could hear his smile as he teased her about her sleeping habits.

"Ha-ha, very funny. Yeah, I'll be there. Is anything wrong?"

"I'll explain in the park. I'll see you there?"

"Sure."

"Great. See you there."

"Love you, bye."

There was a short pause before Anthony responded. "Yeah, um, bye."

He hung up quickly and Anna stared at the phone for a moment before returning it to the table. He was behaving strangely, but she wasn't worried. She ran upstairs and into her cluttered room trying to find something that she could be seen in. 20 minutes later she had showered, changed, and dried her hair. She ran downstairs and into the garage after grabbing her keys off a hook on the wall. She started her car and drove quickly to the park.

When she arrived at the park, she saw Anthony standing by the gate. He didn't hear her come up and she snuck up behind him before tapping him on the shoulder. He jumped and turned around, seeing her giggling quietly at his shocked expression. He smiled slightly and took her hand. The two walked around the park for a few minutes before Anna decided to find out why he had called her there in the first place.

"Anthony, what's going on? Why are we here?"

Anthony sighed and led her over to a park bench. "Anna, we need to talk."

"About what?" she asked confused.

"I don't think this is working out."

"What isn't working out? Anthony what are you talking about?" by now Anna was becoming a little nervous.

"We aren't working out. I thought it was just a rough patch we were going through but, I just haven't been feeling it for the past few months. I didn't want to lead you on anymore than I already have. I'm really sorry Anna, but I think we should end this."

"But Anthony, I don't understand. Don't you love me?" she cried as tears pricked the corners of her eyes.

"That's just it, Anna. I don't think I ever loved you. I'm sorry if I'm hurting you but you'll find someone better than me. Someone who will love you for everything you are. But that person isn't me."

Anna stared at him in shock, tears slowly rolling down her face. He sighed and looked away, as if in pain. "I think I should go now. Good luck, Anna." He got up and slowly walked away, without looking back.

Anna sat on the bench for a few minutes and then everything sank in. He had dumped her. He didn't love her. She wiped the tears from her face and sprinted back to her car. She drove home as fast as she could without breaking the speed limit and arrived in record time.

Letting herself in through the kitchen door that led into the garage, she quickly ran upstairs into her room. Throwing open an old oak chest at the foot of her bed, she smiled down at her dresses. The chest was overflowing with medieval era dresses. She pulled one out at random, a light blue dress with a lace overskirt. She pulled it on and laced up the back by watching herself in the mirror. She slipped on a pair of matching shoes and then ran into her back yard.

There was a small tree house on the edge of her property that she'd found after she'd moved in. She hadn't known it was there when she bought the house but she found that it was a great place to go when she needed to be alone. Or when she needed to cry, like now. She climbed up the ladder and sat in one of the corners, weeping quietly.

As the tears flowed, she began to think about what had gone wrong in her relationship with Anthony. She couldn't think of what had caused it to fail and eventually just gave up and was satisfied to think of Anthony as an ass-hole for causing her so much pain. Now, without Anthony, she didn't have anyone to turn to. Her parents were dead, she was an only-child, and she'd moved to town within the past year and so didn't have many friends yet.

"I wish I could be anywhere but here!" she thought. "Anywhere but here…anywhere but here." That night she cried herself to sleep. In the middle of the night, she had the strangest dream. She saw a tall, thin woman in a white gown. The woman's face was hidden by a fog but Anna felt as if she had known the woman well. She couldn't figure out why but she felt a connection with the mystery woman.

The woman began to speak and Anna felt calmed by her quiet voice. "Do not be afraid, my child. We have heard your wish, and that is why we have brought you here."

The calm Anna had felt disappeared in an instant as she heard this. "Wait, what do you mean? Who are you? Where am I?"

"All will be revealed in due time, my child. But for now you must leave."

"You can't be serious! Isn't this just a dream? I'm not actually going anywhere, am I"

At this point, she woke up and bolted upright. The first thing she noticed was that she had, in fact, gone somewhere. And that somewhere was like nothing she'd ever seen before.


	2. Lothlorien

Chapter 2

She lifted her eyes from her reflection in the clear waters of the mirror. It was done, then. The child would come. _Her _child would come. The stars that had long foretold her arrival would now join in the dance of life, as Anna would bring hope again to what had been a hopeless and bleak time. They would be reunited and Anna would take her rightful place among her people. She smiled, tears fell from her eyes. To think she had been without her daughter for so long. Would she remember? Had the Valar left her any remnants of memory from her past life? Or would she have to be re-taught all that she had once known? No matter. She was returning and at last, there was hope for their suffering world. There was hope that maybe, they could come back and stop this terrible evil that was sweeping across the land.

She stepped away from the mirror and ascended the stone steps back to the quiet efficiency of the Elven society. She smiled at the young elleths as they passed her, gossiping amongst themselves. None of these elflings knew who she really was. They did not need to know. All would be revealed in due time. When the world was right again, when the evil was defeated; then she could take her place among her people, with her daughter by her side. But first the girl would have to find her way to Lothlórien. A tendril of doubt plagued her mind as she thought of her daughter. How would she find her way? Where would she find herself when she returned to the land of her ancestors? Would she survive the difficult journey?

Coming to a quick decision, she quickened her pace through the forest, her skirts rustling amongst the fallen leaves of the Mellon trees. Lothlórien was beautiful in the fall, but even lovelier in spring, when the trees were in bloom and the rare flowers could be seen. She hoped her daughter could someday see the glory of Lothlórien in its prime, but doubted it. The Age of the Elves was ending, and soon they would leave for the Undying Lands and leave the world to Men. And with the departure of the Elves, the Elven Lands would slowly deteriorate and would only be able to be found in the memories of visitors long since departed and in the records of those men who were elf friends.

She reached her destination and hurried up the winding staircase. She paused outside the door to collect her thoughts before knocking gently. A quiet _enter_ was heard and she pushed open the door and stepped inside the room.

"Cousin," smiled Lady Galadriel. "To what do I owe the pleasure of your visit?"

"I am worried. How will Anna know to come here? How could she survive the journey?"

"I have spoken with Lord Elrond. He says Mithrandir is expecting her to arrive somewhere outside Rivendell. Estel is journeying to Rivendell with the Ring-bearer and will most likely find her on his road. I trust him to bring her safely to Elrond and Mithrandir. He will not know who she is, none of them will. But he will feel a strange familiarity because of the bond between your two families. He will protect her."

"Thank you. But, I am still concerned about one thing. When she arrives in our world, will she be of Elven kind or Man?"

"Not even I can predict how the Valar will present her to us. We will not know until we see her."


	3. Welcome to Rivendell

Chapter 3

Anna slowly opened her eyes and found herself staring at a lush canopy of green. Her brow furrowed for a moment as she tried to recall what had happened and then her eyes shot open again. She bolted upright before wincing and putting her hand to her head.

"Bloody headache," she moaned as she squinted against the sun. When the pounding between her ears subsided she took a moment to take in her surroundings. She appeared to be sitting in a small clearing in a forest and could see what appeared to be a road between some trees off in the distance. Stumbling to her feet, she leaned against a tree as the world slowly stopped spinning. She picked her way across the clearing and through the small stretch of forest towards the road. As she approached the road she heard thundering hoof beats and quickly hid behind a tree. The hoof beats slowly faded into silence and she let out a silent breath of relief. This was an unfamiliar land and she didn't know what sort of perils lay before her.

She crept out from behind the tree and onto the road. It was well-worn, but not from car tires or trucks. It appeared as though only horses and people had walked the path. Confused, she walked up the road a bit before stopping once again. Looking around her, she felt the hair on the back of her neck prickle and stand straight. She peered over her shoulder and slowly turned around to find a rugged-looking man directly behind her. She jumped and stumbled back a few paces. Losing her balance, she fell to the ground and looked up at him. His right hand was on a sword at his waist and his left held the scabbard as if he was prepared to draw it on her. He had dark, tangled hair and a scraggly beard. His eyes were a piercing blue-gray and she noticed that he appeared to have a sort of regal air about him. He was handsome, even with the dirt and grime that was coated to him. A glimmer of recognition appeared in his eyes before he hardened his expression once more and spoke.

"Who are you?" he asked her gruffly. She stared up at him, unable to answer and scrambled to her feet. He glared at her and drew his sword, holding it between Anna and himself. "I will ask once more, who are you?"

Finding her voice, Anna stuttered, "My name is Anna Evans, sir. Please, could you tell me where I am?"

Before he could answer, there was a shout and two children rolled from the bushes surrounding the road. They tumbled about for a moment before the man barked at them and they stood, dusting themselves off. They looked up and saw Anna and then the man's sword pointing at her chest.

"Strider! That's no way to treat a lady! Why are you waving your sword at her? You're scaring her!" cried the taller of the two

Anna smiled at them and moved to introduce herself. The man, Strider as the children called him, seeing her move towards them, quickly dropped his sword and grabbed her, slamming her into the nearest tree. Anna gasped and stared up at the man in terror as her head began to throb again. Remorse flickered across his face as he saw the tears pricking in her eyes but he tightened his grip and growled, "What are you doing here? How did you get so close to Rivendell without being discovered by the patrol?"

"Rivendell? I don't know what you're talking about. Please, just let me go. I'm sorry if I frightened your children but I really have no idea how I got here or what's happening to me. I don't even know where 'here' is!" her voice quivered and she squeezed her eyes shut as the pounding in her head increased.

"My children? What do you—" he looked over his shoulder at the two children who were staring at him with shock and anger. Confusion crossed his features as he turned his gaze back to Anna who was struggling to control the tears that were trickling down her face. He dropped his hands from her shoulders and stepped away from her.

"What children?" he asked slowly.

Anna sank into a heap at the base of the tree and weakly gestured at the two boys standing at the edge of the path. "Them!" she cried. "Those two boys. I didn't mean to frighten them. I'm just so confused and I don't know what's happening!" Clutching her head, she looked up at Strider fearfully and tried to shrink away.

The two boys looked at Anna in indignant shock as the taller one cried out, "We're not _boys_! We're Hobbits! Haven't you ever seen a Hobbit before?"

Strider glanced back at the boy and said, "I don't think she has, Merry." Looking now at Anna, he said "My lady, I apologize for my behavior. In these dark times one can never be too careful. Am I correct in assuming that you are not from these parts?"

Anna nodded carefully, avoiding Strider's gaze.

"Could you tell me where you are from? And how you came to be here?" Strider stepped towards Anna and she flinched away from him. As remorse and regret crossed his face once more he knelt by her side and rested his hand on her shoulder. "My lady, I cannot begin to apologize for the way I've treated you. I can tell now that you are injured. You said your name was Anna Evans?"

"Yes, I'm Anna Evans. I'm from Edinburgh, Scotland but I was raised in London. Where am I?" she looked up at Strider in fear and quickly looked away again.

"You are just outside of Rivendell, an Elven city. I'm afraid I do not know where this Scotland is. Are you not from Middle Earth?"

"No. I'm from England. You know, the United Kingdom? Great Britain?" Seeing the blank look on his face Anna continued, confused, "Queen Elizabeth? Winston Churchill? The Beatles? Oh come on, you have to know who the Beatles are! Everybody does!"

Strider slowly shook his head and stood. He held out a hand to help her to her feet and she stared up at him for a few moments as confusion and fear crossed her face. She slowly took his hand and he pulled her up. She stumbled as the world spun around her once more and fell into Strider, who caught her with one arm around her waist.

"You must come at once to Rivendell. Lord Elrond is a healer and will be able to help you." He said

Anna looked up at him fearfully and said, "How do I know I can trust you?"

Aragorn looked down at her and said softly, "You can't. I've only just met you and I've already frightened you beyond anything. But you must see a healer soon, and Elrond is the best in the land. If the Hobbits trust me, I hope you can too."

She looked over at the Hobbits who were obviously worried about her and the one Strider called Merry said, "He's alright miss! He's a little scary when you first meet him but you'll come around! He's really sorry about hurting you and we all want to help. You should see the Elves, they're beautiful! Frodo's already on his way there and Sam….." He looked behind him at the shorter Hobbit and became confused. "Pippin?"

Pippin looked up at him. "What?"

"Where's Sam?"

Aragorn looked around and focused on a small group of bushes a little farther up the road. He smile and looked at Anna, putting a finger to his lips and letting go of her. He slowly walked up to the bushes, looked into them, and beckoned Anna and the Hobbits closer. When they reached the shrubs they all looked inside and a grin spread over all their faces. Buried deep in the bushes, was a third Hobbit, a little rounder than the other two but around the same height as Merry. He looked up at them and a sheepish grin crossed his face.

"Well, hello there Strider. I was hoping we could be on our way to Rivendell soon. We can't let Mr. Frodo get too far ahead of us." He saw Anna for the first time and said, "Who's the lass?"

Strider laughed, saying, "Samwise, if you had been with Merry and Pippin when they came tumbling down the hill, you would know who she is. As you were hiding in this bush, I suppose I must introduce her. Sam, this is Anna Evans of London, England?" He turned to Anna and she nodded, smiling. He grinned and said, "And Anna, this is Samwise Gamgee of Hobbiton. Sam, she will be joining us on our journey to Rivendell."

Anna opened her mouth to say she had never agreed to go to Rivendell, but then thought about what Strider had said. She really did need to get someone to look at her head, maybe give her something to relieve the pain, and she had nowhere else to go. Rivendell was really her only option. So, she simply smiled and nodded. Strider gathered the Hobbits together and they began to walk down the road. Anna hurried to catch up with them and fell in beside Strider as the Hobbits ran farther ahead. Soon, a magnificent city came into view across a river. Strider looked over at her and saw her face light up at the beauty of Rivendell. He smiled and whispered in her ear, "Welcome to Rivendell, my lady."


	4. The Prophecy

Chapter 4

Anna stared up at the beautiful Elven city Strider had led her to. _So this is Rivendell_ she thought. Strider laid a gentle hand on her shoulder and she looked up at him, smiling. "It is beautiful, is it not? I remember the first time my mother brought me here when I was a child. It was unlike anything I had ever seen before. I imagine that is somewhat how you feel?" Anna nodded and looked back towards Rivendell. Strider led her and the Hobbits to the gate and exchanged a few quiet words with the guards. As they entered the city Strider pulled Anna aside and whispered in her ear. "One of the guards has gone to find the Lord Elrond. He will meet us in the courtyard and you will have to explain your story to him and Gandalf." Anna's eyes widened and said, "How am I supposed to tell them I come from a completely different world? You didn't believe me and I'm almost positive they won't either! Strider, please."

Strider smiled gently at her. "Do not worry," he said. "Gandalf will know what to do. He and Elrond will not be so quick to judge as I was." As he said this his face fell and he lowered his eyes. "I cannot begin to apologize for the way I treated you. It was barbaric and I was wrong to condemn you so quickly. I hope you can understand why I did, though. These are dangerous times we are living in and we cannot be too careful. But that is no excuse. Can you ever forgive me?"

Anna smiled sadly at him before saying, "Of course I can. I understand what you and your friends must be going through. My country has been at war for almost ten years and there is no end in sight. I would do anything to prevent the pain of loss I have experienced from reaching the innocent people here."

Strider looked at her sorrowfully before replying, "I am afraid the war here is already causing untold damage. Innocents are dying every day but we will fight and defend our people." Glancing over her shoulder, he turned her gently in the direction of a tall, intimidating man in reddish-colored robes with long dark hair and, pointed ears… Next to him stood a gentler-looking elderly man with grey hair and a pointed hat. He whispered in her ear, "Lord Elrond is on the left, Gandalf is the wizard to the right." Anna's eyes widened slightly as he led her forward and attempted a small curtsey when she came to a stop. The wizard's eyes twinkled merrily as he smiled down at her but Elrond was somewhat less approachable.

"Estel," Elrond said. "Why have you brought this young woman here in such dangerous times? You know well that we must be careful who we trust with our secrets."

Strider bowed his head slightly and crossed his hand across chest to his heart before saying, "I understand the danger of it, Lord Elrond, but she had nowhere else to go and I believed her situation might interest you as well as Gandalf." As he said this he turned to the wizard and bowed his head again, although this time smiling gently. "I know how much our dear friend enjoys his riddles."

Gandalf laughed and turned to Anna. "Now my dear, what seems to have happened to you? I am sure there is something we can do to help you on your way."

"I don't think there's anything you can do for me, sir. I don't even know how I got here. I fell asleep at home, and then I woke up here, in a clearing. Strider found me and, after a slight misunderstanding," at this Strider glanced at her briefly before smiling and looking away, "he led me here, with Merry, Pippin, and Sam." She saw Elrond and Gandalf exchange a look of shock and disbelief before she continued. "Please, do either of you have any idea how I can get home? I'm from London, England, in Europe." Seeing their blank stares she said, "I guess you've never heard of any of that, have you?" She played with her hair nervously as Elrond looked at her suspiciously. Suddenly, his eyes widened and he stared at her exposed ear as she twisted her hair between her hands. "What?" she asked. "What is it?" She turned to Strider and asked frantically, "Why is he staring at me?" But Strider and Gandalf were both staring at her too, in awe and wonder.

Elrond spoke then, for the first time, "I believe we now know why you have come to us. But returning you from whence you came does not appear to be an option. If you would kindly follow me, you as well Estel, I will attempt to explain this matter to you in private."

Anna looked at Strider fearfully as she realized she may not be able to go home and he smiled sadly at her. Then the two of them followed Gandalf and Elrond to a private room in the interior of Rivendell.

When they arrived in what seemed to be Elrond's study, he motioned for Anna to sit in a chair in the center of the room facing a large wooden desk with intricate carvings of flowers and what appeared to be runes. Gandalf and Elrond went to a corner of the room and talked in heated whispers for a few moments before Elrond took a book off of a small shelf behind the desk. He laid it in front of Anna and turned to a well-worn page towards the back. On that page was a drawing of a young woman and an older woman. The young woman was surrounded by a dense smoke that the older woman seemed to be creating. The younger reached out to the elder with tears on her face while the elder looked away, weeping. On the opposite page looked like a sort of prophetic like poem.

An elleth of an age gone by;

In war and terror, forced to fly,

Returns again; when evil wakes,

And Orodruin begins to shake.

She will return from foreign lands,

And the fate of all will rest in her hands.

Gandalf pointed to the young woman in the picture and said, "This, my dear, is you. And this prophecy refers to you as well. You are the hope we have been waiting for all these long years. You are the savior of your people, and all the free-peoples of Middle Earth."


	5. Realizations

Anna stared first at Gandalf and then at Elrond in blatant shock. Looking down at the book in her lap she slowly reread the prophecy and looked closely at the faces of the two women in the picture. As she read and reread each word on the page it felt as if a small piece of a puzzle in her mind was falling into place. Her memories of her home in England and the people she had known there faded away to be replaced by memories of people she was slowly beginning to remember. She remembered running through a beautiful, sunny forest, laughing and taunting her oldest brother, Maedhros, to catch her. Arguments with the twins, Amrod and Amras, and watching the stars with Maglor. She remembered the cruelty of Caranthir and Curufin, and how Celegorm had cared for her every need when she was a child. The death of her grandfather, Finwë, came back to her with amazing clarity, and the catastrophes it had caused. The oath her father, Fëanor, and her brothers took as they and the rest of her kin left Valinor, and the destruction of the two Trees. The only thing she could not remember was why she was sent from Valinor and how she could have possibly returned home after nearly two ages of absence. She heard Strider coming up behind her and looked down at her, confusion etched clearly upon his face. Anna looked back at Elrond and asked, "How did all this happen?"

Elrond sighed and took the book back from her, replacing it on its shelf. "You are the youngest child and only daughter of Fëanor and his wife Nerdanel. After your father and brothers took their oath and left Valinor, Mandos made the prophecy you have just seen, and the Valar decided that you must be sent away from this world to protect you until your time came. After Morgoth was defeated and the world was once again at peace, it seemed as though you would never be called back, but once Sauron's power began to grow again in the east whispers amongst the eldest of the Elves spoke once again of the missing child of Fëanor. You have been sent brought back to us now at the same time that the enemy's greatest weapon has crossed into our lands. This story shall be revealed to you in the coming days, as there shall be a council of all the free peoples of Middle Earth. You shall attend this council and your identity shall not be revealed to any other than those in this room until that time. You are an unforeseen beacon of hope for us; Sauron will not have expected the return of a child of his master's greatest enemy."

Up until this point, Strider had stood silently behind Anna's chair but he suddenly broke into the conversation. "Lord Elrond, I do not believe it to be a wise decision to involve Anna in the affairs of this council. A royal Elf she may be, but that does not mean that she has the understanding or skills required to be an aid to us in the coming war. For all we know she has no skills with a blade nor has she ever seen battle, and I know I will not be the only one to voice concerns such as these."

Anna stood up and faced Strider, "I may not be a man, Strider, but I know more than you expect. My father may have been rash and easily angered, but he was no fool. Just as my brothers were taught the arts of war, I was taught to wield a bow and knives and how to defend myself. Father wanted me to come with him, when he left Valinor with my brothers, but I could not leave my mother alone to wonder after our fates. I did not know then what I know now about my own part to play in this world, and decisions were made about me without my knowledge. I refuse to allow that to happen again, and if Lord Elrond wishes for me to attend this council I will. I know not what shall be decided there but I will not sit idly by and wait for someone to decide my fate."

Strider stared hardly at Anna and she glared right back before they heard a low chuckle coming from a corner of the room. Gandalf stepped forward from where he had been watching their exchange and spoke to Strider. "You forget, Aragorn, that you and Anna here are of similar bloodlines, and the same blasted stubbornness runs through both of you. Although it does seem rather unbecoming of an elleth of your age, wouldn't you say Anna?" he said turning to her with a raised eyebrow as Anna sheepishly looked away. "However, I see no harm in allowing her to attend the council. She does need to be caught up on the goings on of the last two ages, and the story of the Ring would cover most major points. Now, am I correct in assuming that you would both like to find your rooms and rest up before dinner?"

Aragorn turned to leave but Anna spoke before he could reach the door. "Is your true name Aragorn? Strider did seem like a kind of nick name." she said smiling.

Aragorn returned her smile with a small one of his own and responded, "Yes, I am Aragorn, son of Arathorn. I am descended from the Kings of Númenor, distant descendants of the Elven kings of old. My bloodline is tied to the story of the Ring, and I will see it to its completion."

Anna smiled sadly, "Unfortunately, Aragorn, I am also tied to this Ring. I do not know your family's story, so I do not know how directly you are linked with this quest, but I do know that Sauron, being Morgoth's servant, was an enemy of my father. Morgoth was defeated, this much I know, but if one of his servants has risen to such power as to threaten the world with a similar darkness, I will be there to fight it alongside my people." Anna turned to Gandalf and Elrond as she said this and they could see her face had fallen and her eyes were sad. "What became of my family? Did any of my brothers survive the war against Morgoth, or am I truly alone in this world?"

Elrond looked away for a moment, unable to decide whether to tell her of her family's destruction, when he heard Gandalf begin to tell the story.

"Your father and brothers were ambushed by balrogs after the Dagor-nuin-Giliath, and your father's wounds proved to be fatal. The oath your father and brothers took drove them all to their dooms, as Celegorm, Curufin, and Caranthir were all slain in an attempt to take a Silmaril from Dior, son of Beren and Lúthien. Amrod was accidentally killed when your father ordered the swan ships to be burnt at Losgar, where they abandoned Fingolfin and his companions. Amras was killed at the Kinslaying of Sirion, where another Silmaril was lost to them when Elwing, Elrond's mother, threw herself into the sea and was rescued by the Valar. Maedhros and Maglor were the only brothers to survive the war against Morgoth, and still their oath destroyed them. They stole the remaining two Silmarils, but their hands were burned because of their sins and Maedhros perished when he threw himself and the Silmaril into a chasm. Maglor attempted to council your brother against taking the Silmarils, but their oaths were too powerful. When Maglor took the Silmaril the burning caused him to throw it into the sea. It is not known whether he still survives, wandering the shores, forbidden from returning to Valinor, or if he died when Beleriand fell into the sea."

Tears slid down Anna's cheeks as she listened to Gandalf's description of her family's destruction and heaved a shaky breath as he finished. "So I am alone," she whispered at last.

"No," said Elrond. "You may have lost your family all those years ago, but your people still remain here. You did not take the Oath of Fëanor so you may still go to the Grey Havens and return to Valinor, if you desire it. But you will always have a home here, in Rivendell, and I am sure that your cousin, the Lady Galadriel, would be glad to have you in Lothlórien. The time of the Elves is fading, but we still have much to do in this world. You will not be left alone."

Anna smiled at Elrond, bowing her head and placing her hand over her heart. "Thank you, Lord Elrond. You have done so much for me already, I cannot begin to thank you. At the moment, I would like to retire to my room. If you could send someone to lead me to the dining hall later tonight, I would very much appreciate it. I have much I must think about now."

Elrond stood and walked to the door of his study, "Of course, my dear. I will show you to your room and you will be summoned when the meal is prepared."

As the door closed behind the two Elves, Aragorn turned to Gandalf. "Do you really think she should attend the council? The other emissaries will not appreciate a woman's presence, no matter who she is, and I can't imagine the Dwarves will be too keen on the idea of another Elf in the midst. Legolas is coming from Mirkwood with his emissaries and they are the only ones I can imagine would be happy to see Anna, but most likely would not want her joining the council either."

Gandalf smiled and clasped Aragorn's shoulder, "Whether they want her to or not, my friend, Anna will be a member of the council. And I do not doubt that she will make it very interesting."


End file.
